Reinforcing One’s Identity As A Professional

Many of you know I teach in the business school of one of San Francisco Bay Area’s local universities.  The course work for one sixteen-week class involves an instructional tag-team approach.  In other words, there are four of us instructors involved. Thus, coordination is important in reinforcing key messages in the course work.  This particular class is comprised of sixteen CEO’s of mid-size companies from all over the United States. 

 Here’s a note I recently sent to my fellow instructors.  I trust you can ‘listen in’ and benefit too.  After all, it’s important for all of us to reinforce our colleagues identity of themselves as a professional.

 Here’s my note.

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“Reinforcing one’s identity of themselves as a professional (one of the key points from my week three work with the students) takes many forms. In some instances, it’s a number of (seemingly) small things, repeated many times.”

 “I’m writing to encourage each of you in reinforcing our current XX students identity of themselves as a professional.  It’s important for us to model (for them, the students) what we’re encouraging them to do (for their people).”

 “Here’s one seemingly simple way to do this: when addressing the students or asking a question, preface your comments or question with  ‘As a professional, …’.”

 “For example, here’s a few samples. As you’ll see, each example is posed in two (slightly) different ways:

“What are you prepared to do to make your change plan come to life?”

“As a professional, what are you prepared to do to make your change plan come to life.”

 

“To what degree do you feel that this work product reflects your best thinking?”

“As a professional, to what degree do you feel this work product reflects your best thinking?”

 

 “What is it that is incumbent on you to make your experience with this course a terrific one for yourself and your fellow XX colleagues?”

 “As a professional, what is it that is incumbent on you to make your experience with this course a terrific one for yourself and your fellow XX colleagues?”

 “The ‘professional preface’, when properly executed, produces a better result.  Sometimes it takes awhile to kick in, but eventually ‘professional’ will become more top-of-mind for the student.  That’s what we want.”

“Of course the ‘preface ahead’ of the salutation suggestion (or method) is not the only way to have ‘professional’ become more top of mind.  But it’s a good one for we educators to start with.”

“This seems like a small thing.  You may have doubts whether it will have impact.  From experience, I can tell you it does.”

 “Small things, repeated many times, can produce surprisingly remarkable results.”

Southern Gentleman ‘Gifts’ Engineering Graduates

“Be on chapter two when everyone else is on chapter one.” That was the career advice Russ (an assumed name) got in his late-twenties as an up-and-coming engineer. By all accounts the advice served him well. Russ went on serve in several executive leadership positions in a prominent U.S. based manufacturing entity.

Today Russ is enjoying a well-deserved retirement.  Yet he’s committed to giving back.  He has established a number of engineering scholarships at his alma mater—a prestigious public university in the South. Russ provides each graduate with what we’ll call an ‘educational care package’.  The package contains an impressive leadership pamphlet—assembled wisdom from a lifetime of Russ’s collection of favorite business articles along with some of his own writings.  He also includes a number of classic business books.  This package goes to graduates of the very same engineering program Russ graduated from nearly fifty years earlier.  It’s a classy gesture from a classy guy.

He wants the newly-minted graduate to succeed and seeks to instill a love of learning within them.  He knows how easy it is for a young graduate to think they’ve ‘got it all figured out’ upon receiving their degree—especially when that degree comes from such a prestigious school.  Yet Russ is also convinced that many of the potential pitfalls faced by many graduates can be mitigated by them ‘showing up’ as a professional would.

So imagine how pleased I was when Russ contacted me about adding The Power of Professionalism to the elite list of business books he provides to graduates.  I was so honored.  Turns out, the graduates will receive their ‘educational care package’ tonight at a university-sponsored banquet.

The Power of Professionalism is a book that many have become passionate about.  Russ is one of those.  And whether you ‘gift’ the book to two people (a common occurrence) or nearly a hundred (an uncommon occurrence)…you do it because you believe it’s a ‘difference-maker’.   And you do it because you ‘aspire to reveal value in others’ (mind-set #7).  It’s just one of the ways this fine southern gentleman gives back.

 

 

Is Your College Going Out of Business?

Today college students are asking themselves a lot of questions many of us once thought unimaginable. Mark Cuban asks ‘Is Your College Going Out of Business?‘. Check out his article, it’s really thought provoking.

I relate to Mark’s message. When my kids were in the process of choosing colleges, I drilled home to them the importance of coming out of school with as little debt as possible. (they each paid part of the freight)  Two of my three college kids came out of school with zero debt. The third had less than $10,000 in debt.

Being wise stewards of money (largely by being smart consumers of educational services) is one of the most important things my children learned as a result of attending college. I’m proud of each for having the discipline to make the tough choices that enabled them to come out of school with little or no debt.

I wish Mark hadn’t used some of the language he did towards the end of the article, but it is what it is.  Consider yourself forewarned.

Every Hand Went Up! —Part Two–From Grandpa’s Well Intended Faux Pas

NOTE: This post is Part Two (and a continuation) from ‘Grandpa’s Well Intended Faux Pas’ post on Jan 3rd.

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The Director asked the students, “how many of you would recommend the approach taken by Rob in the way he instructed your imaging course?” Every hand went up!

At the Southern California vocational school where Rob taught there was a gap in how prepared the students were to enter the working world.  Rob knew it, employers did too. Technically, the students  knew their stuff.  In other words, their skill-sets were fine.  The school had done a good job in training their students to be masters of an ever-increasing complicated technical universe.

Yet, increasingly employers realized the technical alone was insufficient. Purpose and values were  important. So was taking responsibility.  Like the employers, Rob believed that pouring in buckets of knowledge into student’s brain (as important as that was) was proving incomplete—after all, the school wasn’t preparing robots to enter the workforce.  The school, in effect, was preparing technicians to enter the workforce.  And traditionally that had been fine.

But today more was needed. Professionals were needed. Employers didn’t explicitly say so, but when you listened to their needs, professionals (the adjective, not the noun) is precisely what they were looking for.

Rob made the commitment to graduate professionals—not merely technicians. He did this on his own. He is to be commended. The implication? For students to meet the ‘professional’ standard they need both skill-sets and mind-sets.  Thus, he married the mind-sets from The Power of Professionalism with the well-established technical curriculum.  He upped the ante in a big way.

What did the students think?  They whole-heartedly recommended it.  Remember, every hand went up when the Director posed her question.

And if you’re wondering why the Director was asking that question, it was because the school’s owner was so impressed by the change in the students she asked the Director to look into expanding the approach to the rest of the school’s population of 1,000 students.  It’s an exciting prospect.

We promise to keep you updated as the story unfolds….

Don’t Be Mr. Wonderful

This post is not intended to turn people to the dark side; it has no designs of transforming saints into sinners; no nefarious aims of having sensible, good-natured people suddenly worship at the altar of Darth Vader.

That disclosure aside, it bears repeating….don’t be Mr. Wonderful.

You might think that this admonition is a little out of character coming from a guy who has written extensively in The Power of Professionalism about people being their ‘best self’.  Allow me to clarify.

Who, you ask, is Mr. Wonderful?  He is Kevin O’Leary –a self-made Canadian gazillionaire who is one of the five well-heeled judges who star on the mega-hit television show Shark Tank.  For those unfamiliar with Shark Tank, up-and-coming entrepreneurs pitch deals to the judges—hoping to raise desperately-needed capital for their fledgling companies.

Calling them ‘judges’ is really a misnomer—because their primary role is that of ‘potential investor’. They’re really looking to do a deal—that’s why they refer to each other as sharks.  They hold the term  as a badge of honor.  If a shark likes what they hear and the parties come to terms, the shark’s equity stake is secured by writing a big check. They play for keeps; they’re investing their own money.

Naturally, both the sharks and entrepreneurs alike try to get the best deal they can.  Each is trying to get the most out of their investment.  Occasionally the sharks will compete strenuously amongst themselves when the entrepreneur has developed something ‘special’—an extraordinary product or service that the sharks’ sense will have extraordinary potential in the marketplace.          

You can learn a tremendous amount about the sharks as they ‘wheel-and-deal’ and interact with each other.  It’s interesting to see what the sharks ‘bite on’ and what causes them to ‘walk’.  Most sharks are discerning about the deals they enter into, others less so.

With O’Leary, money borders on being an obsession.  O’Leary, who has no shortage opinions when it comes to politics, said he’d run for office but there wasn’t any money in it. From his point-of-view, money is ‘the only thing that matters’.  ‘Pursuing wealth and being an entrepreneur are the most noble endeavors on Earth’ according to O’Leary.

Certainly the other sharks enjoy making money too, but, when compared with O’Leary, they have limits.  They exhibit self-imposed boundaries.  Not so much with O’Leary.  If he thinks the deal will make him money, he’s all over it.

“You’re dead to me” is a common retort O’Leary gives to entrepreneurs who rebuff his advances.  His interrogations are relentless. The cold hard truth not only aptly describes how O’Leary deals with others but is the title of his 2011 book.

His aggressive, unrelenting nature, along with his brutal honesty, earned O’Leary the title ‘Mr. Wonderful’.   The title originated from an off-handed, sarcastic comment born out of disgust from a fellow-shark who despised O’Leary’s approach.   The title, one of derision, was one O’Leary liked—it stuck.

Consider:

1) it is common for an entrepreneur to reveal that, going in, they aspired to do a deal with a certain shark.  Rarely, if ever, is Kevin’s name mentioned.

2) when Kevin is going head-to-head with a fellow shark for a deal, he loses far more than he wins.  Simply put, entrepreneurs don’t pick him much.

3) of the deals where the sharks partner together, Kevin is treated regularly by his colleagues as the ‘shark of last resort’.  In other words, his colleagues aren’t clamoring to partner with him.

These last three points are based solely on my observations as a regular viewer. In spite of the lack of statistically-based evidence, I believe these observations are fair representations.

I repeat….don’t be Mr. Wonderful.

In business, at the end of the day, it’s all about people. In the ‘Tank’, people have shown a reluctance to want to work with Kevin. Why?

***it appears that people are a means to an end with Kevin.  Money is the end and people are the means.  This dynamic typically ends badly.

***most people will have a serious values mismatch with someone like Kevin. For most, money is not ‘the only thing that matters’.   NOTE:  it is guys like O’Leary that give entrepreneurs a bad name.

***most people view nobility (and wealth creation) in a very different light than O’Leary. For most, nobility has far more to do with what one does with their money than merely accumulating it.  Again, the potential for a serious values mismatch exists.

***most people can’t help but take O’Leary’s approach personally. It’s no fun going to work dreading how your business partner will ‘get to you’ today.

People have and will continue to work with Kevin—-but it appears they do so out of need, rather than desire.  While business isn’t about winning popularity contests, it’s also important to point out the obvious—business is a lot more enjoyable, and frequently more profitable, when we’re working with someone we like and whose values we share.  Everything else being equal, who would you rather work with—someone you enjoy working with or someone who ‘gets to you’?

For all I know O’Leary has a different (better?) persona and approach outside of the Shark Tank. If so, good for him. For now, what I do know is that when the key players on the show see Kevin coming they’re all-too-frequently  putting on their shark repellant–hoping he will keep his distance.

My take:  be someone whom people want to work with.  Be disciplined, be tough, be demanding—just don’t be Mr. Wonderful.

100 and Counting

This is the 100th post on this blog.  I started the blog reluctantly.  Whatever concerns I initially had are now gone. Truth be told, I enjoy writing the blog.  I hope people enjoy reading it—although I’d rather know than just speculate what people’s impressions are.

It’s time for a reality-check, time for some feedback.  Tell me what you think.  Be honest.

What aspects of the blog do you like?  What’s the very best aspect of the blog? What types of posts do you learn the most from?   What types of posts interest you the most?

Anything about the blog you’d change?   Any complaints?  Anything you’d like to see more of?  Less of? Are there best practices from other blogs you’d suggest we add/modify?

Let’s make the next 100 posts even better than the first 100.  Thanks, in advance, for weighing in.

Youth Is Served—The Power of Professionalism In Business Schools

***The owner of a chain of highly-successful Southern California restaurants sends his daughter (a recent law school grad) and niece (attending a prestigious professional school) copies of The Power of Professionalism.  He does so because he sees the book as foundational to their success.

***An executive from a Fortune 20 company shares with her pre-college son stories from The Power of Professionalism. Her high-potential son (wise beyond his years) is especially receptive to the book’s message. 

***A senior leasing agent in a prestigious commercial real estate firm regularly e-mails her daughter (a recent college grad) short excerpts from The Power of Professionalism. She does so because the book addresses many of the frustrations her daughter is experiencing in her new job.               

This phenomenon is repeated regularly….seasoned, caring professionals sharing The Power of Professionalism with the up-and-coming generation. 

To be clear, my firm’s target market is mid to large for-profit companies. Yet, we’ve also made the conscious decision to reach out to the younger generation—just as the aforementioned professionals have.  We believe the book’s principles are imperative for young people to learn early on.

Specifically, we’re doing outreach to business schools—as The Power of Professionalism is a natural for our future generation’s business leaders. The response has been terrific.  Professors are using the book as part of their course work, professional staff is using it with the student’s professional development needs, and student organizations are sharing quotes from the book through social media.  It’s exciting to see how the material has been embraced. 

We’d love to be introduced to people you may know in higher-education (e.g. Deans, Professors, Professional Staff and the like) that might be interested in learning more about the book and how our efforts might benefit them and their students.  Please drop me a line ( wiersmab@comcast.net ) with suggested names or ideas as to how we might advance this important effort even more. Thanks.   

 

 

Are Newbie MBA’s Ready To Run Our Great Commercial Enterprises?

Stanley Bing is a talented journalist that I read regularly in Fortune magazine.  He recently wrote an insightful article entitled B-School Confidential.  Bing suggests that, despite the unique characteristics within today’s generation of young people, that the next generation of MBA’s are up to the task of running our great commercial enterprises.  Check it out.

Questions, Questions, Questions

Recently I was privileged to attend a celebratory event for Jim Kouzes—a colleague friend of mine.  Actually the event was for both Jim and Barry Posner—Jim’s business partner. In my world, Jim is a rock-star.  His and Barry’s book—The Leadership Challenge—has sold over two million copies in over 20 countries since its initial publication.  In the world of business publishing, that’s unheard of.

Jossey-Bass, their publisher, put on a fantastic event for Jim and Barry at an upscale venue in San Francisco to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the book.  Incidentally, the fifth edition of The Leadership Challenge comes out around August 1st.  It’s been updated, and, as always, it’s a terrific read.

Jim tells the story of how the book came to pass.  Turns out, it all started with a question.  The question was, “What did you do when you were at your personal best as a leader?”  Through diligence and hard-work Jim and Barry went about answering that question across the globe—with people young and old, leaders of all stripes representing every industry and function imaginable.  They’ve been working on that question for 25 years. Turns out, they’ve gone a long way in answering it.  Check out the book for their conclusions and insights.

My own book—The Power of Professionalism—was also spawned by a question.  The question was, “what does is really mean to be a professional ?”  Based on the terrific response we’ve received from the book, it’s entirely possible I’ll spend the next 25 years (God willing) elaborating on that question just as Jim and Barry did theirs.

Questions are powerful—more than we know.  They change perspectives, they change lives.  They’ve changed history.  Humans are the only species on the face of the earth capable of asking questions.  You’d think we’d ask more of them!

Following The Example Of Howard Schultz’s Mother–A Lesson For Leaders

Howard Schultz, the well-known head of Starbucks, grew up in public housing in Brooklyn in humble circumstances.   His is a rags-to-riches success story.

A prime reason for Schultz’s success was his mother.  Always encouraging, always upbeat…she told Schultz…“you’re going to be the first person to go to college, you’re going to be a professional, you’re going to make us all proud.”  He did!

In The Power of Professionalism we advocate how important it is for leaders to reinforce their staff’s identity of themselves as professionals.  That’s precisely what Schultz’s mother did for him—at a very young age.  She instilled in Schultz a desire to be a professional.

In Schultz’s case, his desire was born at a young age. Schultz’s mother was explicit in her exhortation. Leaders must do likewise!

Note: the quote in paragraph two comes from Charles Duhigg’s terrific new book The Power of Habit (page 148).